Tel. (207) 287-2070 Drinking Water Program Fax (207) 287-4172 Surface Water Treatment Rule Alternative Filtration Technologies (AFT) AFT systems are usually employed by small water treatment systems. Some of these technologies are appropriate for home or camp use if properly designed, maintained and operated. The following information is pertinent to those public water supplies in Maine which use surface water as a source of drinking water. Click on the following sections to read more about aspects of alternative filtration technology topics: Definition Approval Terminology Surface Water Treatment Rule Summary Multiple Barrier Approach Filtration Overview Disinfection Overview Determining Existing Contact Time Recommended Components Approved Technologies What's an Alternative Filtration Technology? The cost of the first three options has forced small systems to turn to Alternative Filtration Technologies. The Environmental Protection Agency says that a public water system may use a filtration system "if it demonstrates to the State, using pilot plant studies or other means, that the alternative filtration technology, in combination with disinfection treatment that meets the requirements of section 141.72(b), consistently achieves 99.9 percent removal and/or inactivation of Giardia lamblia cysts and 99.99 percent removal and/or inactivation of viruses." In other words... It means that the State must approve an Alternative Filtration Technology before it can be used to comply with the Surface Water Treatment Rule. Once the filtration technology has met the State's performance criteria, it is regulated as a slow sand filter. How does an Alternative Filtration Technology get approval? The Drinking Water Program has developed a review protocol that sets strict standards for approving Alternative Filtration Technologies. The protocol requires manufacturers and engineers to prove to the State that their Alternative Filtration Technology meets the standards set in the Safe Drinking Water Act. The protocol addresses raw water quality, engineering, construction, and routine maintenance. Each approved technology will have a predetermined log removal rating, service schedule, and recommended application based on real life pilot testing. An approved Alternative Filtration Technology has been tested and proven that it is capable of meeting the requirements of the Surface Water Treatment Rule. Terms referred to in discussion of Alternative Filtration Technologies Some of the more important terms identified in the definition of an alternative filtration technology are listed below. Percent removal log reduction another way of saying "percent removal". Filters that remove 99% of the particles applied to them demonstrate 2 log removal. Filters that remove 99.9% of the particles applied to them demonstrate 3 log removal. Giardia lamblia Tiny waterborne protozoans that cause giardiasis. Cysts are highly resistant to disinfection. Giardiasis, also known as beaver fever or Montezuma's revenge, is passed through fecal contamination from infected humans, beavers, dogs, etc. "Giardiasis can cause both and (sic) acute diarrhea as well as chronic abdominal symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps, fatigue, nausea, poor appetite, and weight loss." (Medical College of Wisconsin) The Surface Water Treatment Rule Concerning Alternative Filtration Technologies The Surface Water Treatment Rule addresses two components of Alternative Filtration Technologies. The first is filtration, the second is disinfection. Rules Governing Filtration: The Surface Water Treatment Rule defines filtered water turbidities, maximum allowable turbidities, methods for measuring turbidity and frequency of turbidity measurement. Alternative filtration technologies must meet the following criteria as defined by the Surface Water Treatment Rule (40 CFR 141.73, section (b)). 1. "...the turbidity level of representative samples of a system's filtered water must be less than or equal to 1 NTU in at least 95 percent of the measurements taken each month, measured as specified in §141.74 (a)(4) and (c)(1), except that if the State determines there is no significant interference with disinfection at a higher turbidity level, the State may substitute this higher turbidity limit for that system." 2. "The turbidity level of representative samples of a system's filtered water must at no time exceed 5 NTU, measured as specified in §141.74 (a)(4) and (c)(1)." o The reference to §141.74 (a)(4) requires water systems to measure turbidity using Method 214A "as set forth in Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 1985..." Make sure your turbidimeter meets these requirements. o The reference to §141.74 (c)(1) designates the number of turbidity measurements required each day. "Turbidity measurements as required by §141.73 must be performed on representative samples of the system's filtered water every four hours (or more frequently) that the system serves water to the public. Rules Governing Disinfection of Filtered Water: The Surface Water Treatment Rule requires alternative filtration technologies to achieve "99.9 percent removal and/or inactivation of Giardia lamblia cysts..." 99.9 percent (3 log) of all cysts must be either filtered out or "inactivated" by the time water reaches the first customer. Inactivation as the term applies to microorganisms is spelled out by the Surface Water Treatment Rule's section on disinfection (40 CFR 141.72 (b)). "Disinfection treatment must be sufficient to ensure that the total treatment processes of that system achieved at least 99.9 percent (3-log) inactivation and/or removal of Giardia lamblia cysts and at least 99.99 percent (4-log) inactivation and/or removal or viruses, as determined by the State." "The residual disinfectant concentration in the water entering the distribution system, measured as specified in §141.74 (a)(5) and (c)(2), cannot be less than 0.2 mg/l for more than 4 hours." "The residual disinfectant concentration in the distribution system, measured as total chlorine, (or) combined chlorine...cannot be undetectable in more than 5 percent of the samples each month for any two consecutive months that the system serves water to the public." §141.74 (a)(5) specifies how residual disinfectant concentrations must be measured. §141.74 (c)(2) states that "systems serving 3,300 or fewer persons may take grab samples"...on an ongoing basis at the frequencies each day prescribed below however the day's samples cannot be taken at the same time. The sampling intervals are subject to State review and approval. Required Frequency of Grab Samples System size by population Samples per day ± 500 1 501 to 1000 2 1001 to 2,500 3 2501 to 3300 4 If at any time the residual disinfectant concentration falls below 0.2 mg/l in a system using grab sampling in lieu of continuous monitoring, the system must take a grab sample every 4 hours until the residual disinfectant concentration is equal to or greater than 0.2 mg/l." It's a good idea to sample disinfectant residual entering the distribution system when you sample for turbidity. Disinfectant residual samples should be regularly taken from points in the distribution system. In Summary, systems using Alternative Filtration Technologies must: consistently produce filtered water with a turbidity of 1 NTU or lower not exceed a maximum turbidity of 5 NTU measure turbidity once for every four hours of operation measure disinfectant residual at least once per day maintain a disinfectant residual of at least 0.2 mg/l entering the distribution system maintain a disinfectant residual throughout the distribution system submit monitoring results to State by 10th day of following month Multiple Barrier Approach Even the cleanest surface water supplies can contain cysts and other organisms that can infect human beings and make them sick. To help reduce the risk of infection from microorganisms, water systems that supply surface water to the public use the following three step process. Step 1: Clean up the source Make sure contamination sources within the watershed are accounted for and addressed. Swimming areas, cow pastures, agricultural runoff and roadways can contaminate surface water supplies. If possible, restrict a 200' radius around the intake from activities that could contaminate your supply. Post the location as a drinking water supply to improve public awareness. Less contamination in the source makes it easier to filter water and reduce risk. Step 2: Filter the water Filtration is a series of processes designed to remove particles from water. Most Alternative Filtration Technologies use bag filters or cartridge filters to remove particles. Typical arrangements include a roughing filter that removes large particles and a finishing filter which removes smaller particles. Even the best filters can't remove all of the tiniest contaminants, so the water must be disinfected. Step 3: Disinfect the water After the water has been filtered, some microorganisms remain. A disinfectant is added to the water and allowed to remain in contact with the water before it goes to the first tap. This phase is called Contact Time. Your engineer will calculate the amount of contact time you need to both protect your customers from pathogens and meet the rules. Filtration Overview Understanding what the filter is supposed to do is the fundamental factor in operating a filtration system. A filter is designed to remove particles. If you review the Surface Water Treatment Rule requirements, you'll see something about "filtered water must be less than or equal to 1 NTU". Measuring turbidity: NTU stands for Nephelometric Turbidity Unit. The NTU is a measure of the amount of turbidity (suspended particles) in a water sample. Drinking water sources range from 5 NTU for relatively dirty water to below 0.1 NTU for filtered water. Alternative Filtration Technologies must be sampled at least once daily to prove that they are producing water with turbidities less than 1 NTU. Turbidity is measured with an electronic instrument called a turbidimeter. A turbidimeter shines a light source through a water sample and measures the shadow that the particles in the sample make.